


Three Words That Can Never Go Together

by thebittermountain



Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, May/December Relationship, Older Man/Younger Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, Power Dynamics, brief Dmitri/Stevie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:34:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21741043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebittermountain/pseuds/thebittermountain
Summary: When Russell Jackson hired Stephanie McCord to be his intern, neither of them expected anything more than a mentor-mentee relationship. But their emotions have other plans.This story starts some time after season 3, episode 10 (where Russell has a heart attack and later hires Stevie), and Stevie didn't change her mind about a law degree.The story will ignore MSec’s running for president, and Stevie's marriage in season 6.
Relationships: Elizabeth McCord/Henry McCord, Jay Whitman/Carol Jackson, Russell Jackson/Stevie McCord, Stevie McCord/Dmitri Petrov
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	1. The Intern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The framework is established, as is Stevie and Russell's friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this universe, Russell is 60, and Stevie is 26 in early 2017, when this story starts.

If you had asked him beforehand, Russell Jackson wouldn’t have thought that his new intern would last longer than a month. Sure, she was Bess’s daughter, and clearly intelligent and quick-thinking, but he knew from her mother and Conrad that Stephanie McCord had a history of changing her mind when it came to occupations.

Now here she still was, five months after the election, and he was depending on her as much as he did Adele. Even after he finally gave her that damn Harvard recommendation letter. When he’d asked, she told him she was going to Georgetown instead—and somehow, she’d managed to turn her internship with him into a credit opportunity so she could keep working for him.

Russell shook his head as he took a rare few moments of silence as he waited for the next unfortunate to enter his office. He still didn’t understand why she wanted to keep interning with him. For the most part, he was brutally honest with himself, and he knew perfectly well that he was rarely—if ever—a pleasure to be around. Carol enjoyed his company, Adele respected him, Conrad appreciated his work, Bess liked to argue with him, and Henry was—sort of—a friend. But Russell still couldn’t begin to tell you why a college-age young woman so clearly enjoyed working with him, when even most of his employees slightly dreaded interacting with him.

Hearing a knock on the door, he straightened.

“Yes?”

“Mr. Jackson, it’s your two o’clock.” He cleared his throat, feeling strangely lightened by hearing Stevie’s voice.

“Send them in, Ms. McCord.” He quickly hid a smirk as he saw the exasperated expression on her face when she opened the door to let in Admiral Hill. He knew she hated being called that, but as he’d told Stevie many times already, if she was going to fall back on formality, it was only fair he do the same. The door closed with a quiet—and pointed—snick, and Ellen gave him a bemused look.

“Russell, what was that about?” He shrugged.

“It gets on her nerves when I call her Ms. McCord.” Her lips twitched, but Ellen, being rather matter-of-fact, quickly moved on.

“Hm. Now, what do we need to talk about before we meet with the President tomorrow?”

* * *

Russell rubbed his eyes and collapsed into his chair with a sigh after Bess slammed the door behind her. His chest didn’t hurt, but he could feel a major headache brewing.

“Adele! Give me the aspirin bottle, would you?” Instead of his trusty administrative assistant grumbling loudly that he was perfectly capable of walking the few steps to her desk, Stevie popped her head in, thankfully holding the bottle. Adele must be out to lunch. She closed the door behind her before asking,

“Is everything alright, Russell? Mom seemed pretty pissed.” He snorted and motioned for her to come further into the room.

“You’re not going to ask about me? Typical McCord.” She smiled briefly at him, the action lighting up her whole face, even with the sardonic tilt.

“I figured you weren’t, since you were actually asking for the aspirin. Is it a headache?” He nodded, trying not to laugh as his head began to throb.

“Yes. It was just another disagreement about policy. I’m sure you’ll see it in the news in a day or two.” She frowned at him as she grabbed a bottle of water from his mini-fridge.

“You’ve been having a lot of those lately. Have you been talking to your doctor? Or Carol?” He glared at her—or tried to—but her frown only deepened as she set the water and aspirin on the desk in front of him. He downed the pills rapidly, blinking in surprise as he was faced with a damp handkerchief.

“Where did you get that?” She shrugged.

“I started listening to Allison about fashion. Rest your eyes for a bit. You don’t have anyone else scheduled for another two hours.” He let her drape the wet cloth over his face but couldn’t help protesting.

“I still have plenty of work to do! I could be catching up on—”

“I can call your doctor now, or Carol in the evening. Which do you prefer?” She cut him off, her voice unusually steely. He sighed, resigned.

“Carol…and when did you get her number?"

“Two weeks after you hired me.”

* * *

“Stevie, what are you doing this summer?” Liz was hoping to hear that her eldest was doing something fun (but responsible). Something relaxing before putting her nose to the grindstone with a law degree.

“Interning at the White House….And helping Ali with her fashion line.” Liz blinked before sharing a glance with Henry. The two of them might not be telepathic, but over twenty years of marriage did help in knowing each other’s minds. She nodded at her husband.

“Honey, you’re starting at Georgetown in the fall. Don’t you want to do something…a little more peaceful?” Their daughter grinned, sharing a brief look with Alison.

“Ali just wants me to model and critique—that’ll be relaxing.” Henry rubbed the back of his head, and Liz nudged his shoulder gently.

“Stevie, you know what your father and I meant.” Stevie ate another bite of Chinese takeout before answering the unspoken question.

“Georgetown is giving me partial credit for my internship with Russell if I submit a short essay showing critical thinking and discussion of current events and the past to the Professor teaching my Presidential Orders and Legality class.”

“For how long?” Henry asked, leaning forward, clearly intrigued.

“For the rest of the school year.” Both Liz and Henry leaned back in their chairs.

“Impressive.”

“Jinx.”

Only Jason was trying to hide his amusement; Stevie and Alison broke down in laughter. After that interruption—and once the laughter had slowed to hiccups and giggles—Liz asked,

“How did you wrangle that?” Stevie shrugged.

“You and Russell have already taught me how to argue my case like a lawyer.” Henry coughed suspiciously, and Liz shot him a look. Stevie began picking up her empty cartons and taking plates to the kitchen, cutting off any further discussion, much to Liz’s frustration. She still had questions, but she didn’t think she was going to get an answer anytime soon. There was no missing the way Stevie had stiffened when her internship was questioned. Still, Liz really didn’t understand how anyone could like working with Russell day in and day out. There was no denying that he was irritable, particular, and grumpy—not to mention far too willing to play dirty. But apparently, Stevie did. And as much as she sometimes hated to acknowledge it, all of her babies were grown up—even Jason.

“Mom, can I take the left-overs to work tomorrow? I don’t feel like fighting through crowds.”

“Of course, honey. Just label what you’re taking so Jase doesn’t eat it in the middle of the night.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Nadine rarely found herself in the White House, especially now that she was thinking about resigning as chief of staff. But Russell had been hard to get ahold of lately, and MSec had a meeting from noon to four, so here she was, missing lunch, and grumpy about it. A rare silence, due to the particular hour, blanketed the staff offices. Most were empty, and unfortunately, so was Adele’s desk. Russell’s administrative assistant must be out to lunch as well.

Oddly, Russell’s door was cracked open.

Curious, Nadine peaked through the crack instead of knocking or walking in. Her eyes widened, and she was glad she wasn’t a person prone to gasping. Stevie McCord was perched on Russell’s desk, gesturing wildly with chopsticks while he gazed at her with a look in his eyes that Nadine remembered seeing in her son’s when he looked at his wife and that she’d very occasionally caught in Mike’s when he thought she was distracted.

As she watched, Russell leaned forward and smiled, saying something Nadine didn’t quite catch. Stevie laughed, and moved something—presumably food—closer to him with her chopsticks while shaking her head. She picked up an egg roll, Russell giving her a (clearly) mock glare as he tried to snatch it. Nadine’s jaw creaked quietly, and she forced herself to relax it. She had no ground to stand on when it came to being involved with married people, but at least she had been around Vincent’s age. He was more than twice Stevie’s age. Not to mention, she was an unpaid intern and college student. This was so much worse than her and Vincent.

Nadine shifted uncomfortably on her feet, not sure what to do next. She turned, hearing footsteps in the hall, and almost sighed in relief as Adele appeared. The other woman frowned.

“Ms. Tolliver, did you need to meet with Russell? I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“Not at all, Adele,” Nadine lied. “I just didn’t want to barge in since it wasn’t urgent.” Adele laughed before knocking on Russell’s door.

“Russell, Nadine Tolliver is here to see you.”

“Come in,” was the brusque rejoinder. When Nadine walked in, Stevie was filing papers, and the food had been cleared away.

“So, what’d you chase me down for Nadine? Usually it’s the other way around.”

She got the answers she had originally came for, but by the end of her meeting with Russell, Nadine had no clearer of an idea what to do than she had when she saw the two of them. She wasn’t even sure if either of them realized what they were doing, from the interplay she’d witnessed. What she did know, was that she wasn’t going to breath another word to anyone about what she saw.

Not even Elizabeth or Mike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Stevie’s internship stuff is made up. But believably so. You can get class credits for internships in certain situations in the US.


	2. In This Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things begin to unfold, and this particular universe of MSec is further explained.
> 
> In other words, both Stevie and Russell are beginning to realize feelings they're not sure how to handle.

Henry McCord was waiting for his burger in Station 4 when he saw someone unexpected for this time of day. He knew Russell usually stayed close to the White House for lunch unless there was something else going on. In that case, the venue was usually much, much upscale. Not to mention, these days Russell didn’t eat too much pub food.

There was a deep frown on Russell’s face, a clear indication that he was grumpier than usual, so Henry decided to just watch him. He didn’t have to be in for Special Activities until four, so there was no need to hurry.

It wasn’t clear whether or not Russell saw him as he glanced in the direction Henry was sitting, but much to his good luck, the White House Chief of Staff ended up at a table not too far away from Henry’s booth. Russell ordered almost as he sat down, and when Henry saw the order, he winced. That was a serious cheat day. Carol was going to be pissed with her husband, though Henry by no means was intending to inform her.

He dug into his own burger, keeping a weather eye on Russell, who—to be honest—appeared more than a bit melancholy. Henry began to rethink his original decision of giving Russell some space. No one deserved to be miserable alone, not even a misanthrope like Russell Jackson.

The decision was eventually taken from his hands when, right after the waiter had disappeared with Henry’s bill and card, the man himself sat down with a grunt in front of him. “

Hello Henry. Care to tell me why you were staring?” Henry sighed.

“Hello Russell. It’s nice to see you too.” The other man snorted, but he had a slight smile on his face that Henry wouldn’t admit he found reassuring.

“Answer my question, Dr. McCord.”

“You looked like shit, Russell. I don’t usually see you in a pub during the day, either.” The smile disappeared, and Russell abruptly appeared very tired.

“Carol and I split.” Henry blinked.

“Come again?” Russell shook his head with mock disapproval.

“Come on, McCord. You and I both know there’s nothing wrong with your hearing.”

“Russell…I’m sorry. But how? Why? You always seemed so happy.” His sort-of-friend shrugged, leaning back against the padded booth.

“We just grew apart. We’re still friends. There’s just nothing else there anymore. Hasn’t been for a couple years. We kept it together for the kids. But now that Manda will graduate next year…” Henry nodded sympathetically. He had to ask though,

“Why are you telling me all this, Russell? You’re closer with Conrad. Heck, even with Liz.” The other man raised a brow at him.

“You think I’m going to take up the valuable time of either the president or your wife telling them my sob story?”

“Thanks for the trust, Russell,” Henry said drily as his check returned. Russell stood, looking more like himself.

“I _do_ trust you, Henry. I wouldn’t have told just anyone about that. Now, we’d both best get back to work.” With that, he walked out of the pub, clearly having already payed.

Henry stared aimlessly at his receipt for a long moment after the other man left before leaving as well. He was going to have a lot to talk with Liz about tonight.

* * *

Russell got home some time after eleven to covered dishes accompanied by a note, with his youngest child asleep on the sofa. Most people wouldn’t have believed the soft smile on his face as he covered Manda with a blanket, eased a pillow under her head, turned off the TV, and read the note.

_Dad,_

_Mom said you’d like these after Elena taught me how to make them. You both need something nice right now._

_A surgery went wrong at the hospital, and I know there’s a lot going on at the White House._

_Mom and I went out for ice cream today at lunch, so I wanted to make dinner for you._

_If you get home after I go to sleep, can you wake me up before you leave in the morning?_

_\--Manda_

Russell shook his head as he stuck the salmon and rice pilaf in the microwave. He still didn’t know how Amanda was taking the divorce so well. None of her older siblings were happy about it, especially Kathryn, who’d already dealt with one divorce—a much less amicable one.

As he was putting the dishes away, he called Carol.

“Why is our daughter acting like she’s our parent?”

“Hello to you too, Russell.”

“Good evening, Carol.” His soon-to-be ex-wife laughed at his reluctant acquiescence to manners.

“You know Manda’s always been older than her years, Russ.” He shrugged before remembering she couldn’t see him.

“Sure, but she shouldn’t be the one taking care of us.” Carol sighed.

“I know. I insisted on paying for the ice cream. I think it’s her way of coping. She’s observant—and she’s been the only one at home for the past two years.” Russell rinsed his cup in the sink before rubbing his forehead tiredly.

“I doubt my heart attack helped.”

“It didn’t,” Carol said firmly.

He leaned against the living room doorway, watching Manda sleep.

“…What happened with the surgery?”

“How long have you been having headaches?” He made a strangled cough.

“You first, Carol.”

“You’re not getting out of telling me, Russell.”

“I know. Neither are you.” She sighed.

“This little girl…she wasn’t even nine…we were trying a pancreatic transplant. Her older sister was the donor, and for a few days it seemed to be working. But she had a violent rejection reaction this morning. We don’t know if she’s going to wake up, and her sister was inconsolable.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, staring at the framed photo of him, Carol, and all the kids on the living room wall across from the sofa.

“I’m sorry, Carol. That’s rough.” She made a noncommittal sound before saying,

“Alright. Your turn.”

“Stevie told you, didn’t she?” Carol didn’t say anything, which was as good as confirmation in his mind.

“It’s not my blood pressure. The doc is letting me have a cheat day or two, as long as I don’t make a habit of it. She fiddled with my med doses a bit, and that helped.”

“She said the rest was just stress, didn’t she?”

“She did indeed. I’ll have you know I’m engaging in plenty of stress-relieving activities, Carol.”

“ _Really_.”

“ _Yes_ , and I can give you a list: panda-camming, playing board games with Manda, talking lit with Stevie—” Carol cut him off with a humor-filled voice.

“Alright, I believe you, Russ. I’ll stop worrying.”

“I doubt that.”

“Fair enough.” He cleared his throat, shifting his feet.

“Are you taking care of yourself, Carrie?” Her breath hitched over the phone, and he knew it was because of the old nickname.

“If I don’t, I have you and Jay to keep an eye on me.” Russell snorted. He couldn’t help it.

“How does it feel to be the sort of step-mom of a toddler?” She laughed.

“Weird, but in a good way. Pretty sure Abby’s judging me for being involved when I already have grandkids around Chloe’s age though.”

“Her opinion of you doesn’t matter.”

“Thank you, Russ. It’s more just annoying than anything else. I’m sure she’ll get over it.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so. Get some sleep, Russ, it’s past one.”

“You too Carol.”

“I’m not in until eleven tomorrow.” He hung up.

* * *

“He’s definitely dating someone.”

“Who is?” Kat asked as she came to the table with the pastries.

“Jay, obviously.” Matt said, giving her a look. Daisy stared at him, and abruptly looked thoughtful. Blake sighed.

“Can we not gossip first thing in the morning?”

“Who are we gossiping about?” Marina De Soto, the head of the secretarial staff for State asked as she grabbed her habitual bear claw. Kat didn’t even bother protesting at this point. It wasn’t like Marina ever took more than one anyway.

“According to Matt, Jay’s love life.” Marina looked intrigued.

“I thought the mess with Abby turned him off to women other than his daughter and his coworkers.”

“So did I,” Kat said. Blake looked put-upon.

“Is this really the time?”

“When _is_ the time?” Daisy asked sensibly.

“After work?” Blake suggested. Matt commandeered the conversation again.

“I’m serious guys. I think he’s seeing someone.” Blake sighed, looking resigned.

“Alright, I’ll bite, Mahoney. What gives you that idea?” Everyone leaned in, including Susan and Donna, who were the first meetings of the day.

“He’s blown me off for plans on days when he doesn’t have Chloe multiple times in the past few months. One time when he answered the phone, I heard a woman’s voice in the background.” He paused, and Daisy spoke up.

“You know, the last couple of times I picked Joanna up from Diplotots, I heard Chloe babbling about a ‘Miss Carol’.” Kat clapped her hands, leaning back.

“Alright, I’m convinced.”

“So am I, and I think I hear familiar footsteps, so that was excellent timing, Kat. We’re tabling this conversation.”

Not even a minute later, Jay and MSec came in the open door.

“Tabling what?” MSec asked. Blake flinched.

“Gossip, ma’am.”

“Good choice,” said Jay. “We have a lot to cover today.”

“When do we not?” Matt muttered. Kat wasn’t the only one hiding amusement at his comment.

* * *

Stevie knocked gently on Russell’s office door. It was approaching midnight, and he’d been holed in his office since 6:30. His last appointment had left at eleven.

“Russell?” She called when she didn’t hear an answer. He mumbled something, and she pushed the door open. He was staring at his phone—without his reading glasses. She sighed, walking further in.

“Russell, it’s almost twelve, and the president went to sleep two hours ago. It’s time to go home.” He jumped, and looked up at her, clearly refocusing. Stevie wasn’t sure what to think about him being so comfortable with her that he didn’t immediately register her presence. She couldn’t say she’d noticed anyone else produce that reaction in him. He frowned.

“You have class tomorrow, don’t you? I’m sorry.” She nodded and shrugged.

“I didn’t want to bother you about it. Besides, I wasn’t going to leave you here all night. You wouldn’t go home otherwise.” He smiled wryly at her.

“You’re probably right. But why didn’t you ask Adele to stay instead?”

“Adele has kids at home.” He sighed and stood up, stretching. Stevie found her eyes unwillingly drawn to the strip of pale skin revealed as his button-down shifted. She pushed away her reaction, not willing to examine the feelings produced. She was dating Alexander—and besides that, Russell was her boss and more than twice her age. Even if he was single now. She looked up to meet his gaze as he said,

“Stevie, you’re my intern, not my servant. You should have said something.”

“Some people would argue otherwise.”

“True enough. Let me take you home.”

“You don’t have to…” She trailed off at the stubborn look in his eyes. He was just as bad as Mom and the President when he wanted to be, and she was too tired to argue. “…Okay.”

“Good. Just let me grab my jacket, and I’ll call my driver.”

“I can do it.”

* * *

John Emory hid his curiosity as Stevie McCord got into the car with his usual cargo. Usually when she called, Chief of Staff Jackson was the only one getting in.

“Evening Emory.”

“Evening, Mr. Jackson. Stay too late again?” Jackson actually looked abashed. Ms. McCord looked tired.

“Yes, he did.”

“Good thing he has you looking out for him, Ms. McCord.” To his surprise, both of them blushed. John hadn’t thought Jackson could blush. He decided not to make an issue out of it. He did _not_ want to know. “Where to, Mr. Jackson?”

“McCord residence, then my house, Emory.” John nodded.

“Of course. Music or no music?”

“I don’t care.” He turned on the classical station, low.

The drive to the McCord residence was quiet. At one point, he glanced in the rearview mirror to see that Ms. McCord had fallen asleep on Jackson’s shoulder. His cargo had a soft look on his face that John had only seen on his face directed toward his wife. He tapped his fingers on the driver’s wheel thoughtfully but kept his musings to himself. Jackson shook Ms. McCord awake gently when John stopped the car. He walked her to the door, appeared to be saying good night to the other McCords, and walked back.

After they’d exited the McCord’s neighborhood, Jackson leaned forward.

“Please. Don’t tell anyone.” John blinked, maneuvering expertly past a semi-truck and a mini-van before answering.

“I just saw a very tired woman napping.” Jackson sighed.

“I know you saw me. Now is not the time for that information to leak.” John shrugged.

“I don’t see how it’s any of my business, Mr. Jackson. You’re not taking advantage of her, are you?” Jackson looked gratifyingly horrified.

“Of course not. What kind of man do you think I am?”

“One who probably doesn’t want to be having this conversation with his driver.” Jackson snorted.

“You’re not wrong, Emory. Thank you.” John turned into Jackson’s street.

“Not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this universe, Carol and Russell have been reevaluating their marriage for a little over three years (it’s been a little over a year since Stevie started working for him), and after their 22nd anniversary decided on a divorce. It finalized shortly before Henry’s conversation with Russell. By the time they’re talking, Russell and Carol have been officially divorced for almost three months. 
> 
> Conrad, the White House (beside Stevie), and the State Department (beside Jay and Liz) don’t know about the divorce until next chapter. Amanda “Manda” Jackson, Abby, Stevie, and Russell are the only ones who know about Jay and Carol right now. 
> 
> I believe in canon the Jay/Abby storyline never got resolved (correct me if I’m wrong), and it didn’t seem healthy for them or Chloe, so in this universe they divorced right after season three, finally agreeing on joint custody after Jay took on the Chief of Staff position and got (sort of) more stable hours. 
> 
> Jay and Carol have been dating for six months at this point.


	3. Think Our Private Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Russell helps Carol and Jay drop their bomb. Conrad is tired, and the State Department is fascinated.

Jay turned on his side, waking up slowly, and looking at the woman beside him thoughtfully. Six months ago he was tired of relationships and disillusioned with love. But that was six months ago, and now he was fairly certain he was in love with Carol Emond, formerly Jackson.

It hadn’t even been that long, and already it felt like Carol understood him better than Abby had ever claimed she did. They both had high-pressure jobs that sucked a lot of their time and energy, and they both knew how hard—and how worth it—making time for each other and their children was.

That was another positive. Chloe adored Carol, even if her father’s new girlfriend was closer in age to her grandmother than her mother. Jay was almost certain he’d found the perfect woman for him, and he thought he was ready to let people know. Even if it caused a news nightmare—which it very well might.

He leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on Carol’s lips. She opened her eyes as he pulled away.

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

“Morning, babe.” She raised a hand to trace a line on his forehead as he smiled down at her.

“What has you so thoughtful so early, Jay?” He took a steadying breath before he answered her. He might be ready to tell everyone, but he was still nervous.

“I think…I think I’m ready to tell everyone.” She frowned slightly, and he tensed. She moved her hand to his shoulder, squeezing gently.

“I don’t want you to think I’m not ready. But we should call Russell first.” Jay relaxed, nodding.

“That makes sense. He’ll probably be awake already, right?” She turned to check the alarm clock on their bed side table.

“Definitely—it’s past six. Let me do it.”

* * *

Russell was, in fact, knotting his tie when Carol called. He put her on speaker, motioning a slightly groggy Manda and Kathryn over. _It’s your mother_ , he mouthed.

Kathryn bounced a fussy Mara, her face furrowed in thoughtful consideration.

“Morning, Carol. Some of your favorite girls want to say hello.”

“Hi Mom!” Manda practically shouted as she made grabby hands for her niece, who Kathryn relinquished with a short smile before she said,

“Hello, Mama Carol.”

“Katydid! It’s been so long. How are you, darling?” Kathryn’s smile widened.

“Good, but Mara’s started teething. Any advice?”

“That’s the worst,” a male voice said sympathetically.

Kathryn froze, the smile dropping off her face. Russell resisted the urge to groan. Carol’s sigh was clearly audible through the speaker.

“Who is that?” Kathryn snapped. Russell opened his mouth, but Manda was faster.

“Mom’s new boyfriend Jay. His daughter just turned three. She’s so sweet!” Kathryn crossed her arms, looking between Russell and Manda. Finally, she sighed, although she still didn’t look happy.

“You knew, Dad.” He finished knotting his tie.

“I did.”

“I told him as soon as Jay asked me out, Katy.” Kathryn looked at Russell, who nodded. She sighed, uncrossing her arms.

“Alright. But don’t expect me to be happy right away.”

“I understand, darling. We didn’t mean to spring it on you, but you and your siblings were the first people we planned to tell.” Kathryn huffed, and left the bedroom with a muttered,

“I’m going to go check on Booker.” There was a short silence broken only by Mara’s gurgles before Manda said brightly,

“Well that could have gone worse! Jay, that was my oldest sister Kathryn. She’ll warm up to you. Probably.”

“That’s reassuring,” Russell could hear Jay mutter. He cleared his throat.

“She will. She just doesn’t like change. Kat is my daughter from my first marriage.”

“…Ah.” Jay said. Russell plowed on, refusing to let the conversation become anymore awkward.

“Okay, why’d you two really call?” Jay coughed.

“We’re ready to go public. If you are.” In spite of himself, Russell’s eyes widened. He sat down on the bed, moving the phone with him. Manda joined him, curling up against the pillows with Mara.

“Alright. We need to plan this though.”

“That’s why we called you, Russ,” Carol said with amusement. He nodded absently.

“Are you two going to tell Sandra, Jared, and Stephen, or do you want me to?”

“We’ll do it after we hang up with you, Russ.”

“Okay. Carrie, I suggest you go into work with Jay today, and pick Chloe up from the daycare.” Jay made a strangled sound.

“Russell, how the hell did you know Abby was dropping her off there today?” He smirked, even though he knew the other man couldn’t see him.

“I have my ways.” Carol chuckled, partially muffling Jay’s

“I swear, _this_ town.”

“I have a night shift today so that should work just fine. Are you planning on telling the president and Adele about the divorce then?”

“Yep. How about we get everyone in town to meet for an early dinner on Saturday?” Jay groaned. Russell snickered.

“Okay, but I’m picking the place, Russell.”

“Fine with me,” He and Carol chorused, sending Manda into helpless giggles.

“Have a nice day, Jay.”

“Fuck you too, Russell.”

* * *

MSec tripped, falling into Blake. The both of them almost landed on the floor before Kat, Daisy, and Matt helped them regain their balance. Then the four of them turned to see who had so startled the Secretary of State.

Kat was the only one not gaping, instead having a thoughtful look on her face. She was also the only one who remembered their manners, shoving the pastries into Matt’s fumbling arms before striding over to hold a hand out to the blonde woman balancing Chloe on her hip.

“Hi. I’m Kat Sandoval, MSec’s policy advisor. I took over Jay’s job when he took over Nadine’s. Should I know you?” The woman laughed, the action brightening her face in a way that made Kat more than a bit jealous of Jay’s good luck.

“A pleasure. I’m Carol Emond. I used to be married to Russell Jackson.” Kat blinked, then turned back to look at everyone else’s shocked expressions.

“…Oh. That explains a lot.” Carol Emond laughed again.

“I imagine it does.” She bounced Chloe on her hip, and the three-year-old giggled, grabbing Carol’s lapel to steady herself.

“Fun, Miss Carol!” Kat smiled, and so did Carol.

“Does Russell know?” Both Jay and Carol gave MSec a look.

“Liz, we’ve been together for six months. What do you think?” MSec’s eyes were very wide.

“Six months?” Matt hissed. Marina poked her head in the lobby, obviously to see what was taking so long—grinned—and disappeared back into the bullpen. Kat sighed in unison with Jay. The news was going to be all over the State building by the end of the day.

Carol cleared her throat.

“On that note, I’m going to take this little lady home.” She pulled Jay down into a rather deep kiss—Kat felt uncomfortably voyeuristic watching—before patting him on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, sweetheart. Remember, Manda’s coming over and she wanted to make dinner for us.” Jay nodded slowly, clearly still a little dazed by the kiss.

“I’ll be home as early as I can. Will you get the groceries though?” Carol nodded.

“Of course.” And with that, Jay’s girlfriend and daughter disappeared into the elevator.

“What. The. Fuck.” That was Matt. MSec shushed him, but it did seem like everyone except for Kat had the same reaction. She patted Jay sympathetically on the shoulder.

“Let’s get to work, everyone.”

* * *

Conrad stared at him for a long few moments, and Russell felt an unusual twinge of guilt.

“For God’s sake, Russell, why didn’t you tell me?”

“For the same reason I didn’t tell Bess.” The President threw his hands up in the air with clear irritation.

“Well yes, but you told Henry. Couldn’t you have told Lydia?” Russell shrugged, hands fisted in his pockets. He realized now that he’d told Henry because he related to him in a way he never could with Bess or Conrad. Henry grew up blue-collar, just like him.

Conrad sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“Well, alright. Thank—” Russell cut him off.

“That’s not the only thing I needed to tell you. Carol’s been dating Jay Whitman for the last six months.”

“Bess’ Chief of Staff?”

“Yes.”

“I thought the divorce only went through three months ago.”

“We were separated before that.” Conrad shook his head.

“Does Bess know?”

“She does now. Carol went with Jay to work so she could get a day with Chloe.”

“That’s another thing. Don’t you two already have grandkids?”

“Around the same age as Chloe, yes.”

“Isn’t Jay sixteen years younger than her?”

“Yes.” Conrad sighed.

“Thank you for informing me before someone tries to make a news story out of it.”

“You’re welcome. Can I get back to working for you now?”

“Are you going to spring any more surprises on me?”

“Not of the personal nature.”

Conrad waved a hand, looking tired. Russell didn’t blame him in the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We don’t know Carol’s maiden name, so I chose the surname of the actress who played her; Lisa Emond. 
> 
> Would anyone be interested in a short, fluffy piece about Chloe and Carol’s excursion to the grocery store? Or a two-shot about Liz’s reaction to the divorce and Jay’s new SO? Or even a longer piece about how Jay and Carol started dating?
> 
> Mara’s full name is Amara Elena Gianni (in case anyone is curious)
> 
> Kathryn’s mother (whose name is Hale) and Russell divorced in 1990. Kathryn was born in 1985. She was five. Hale was still very much a present parent, but they had joint custody where Kathryn traveled back and forth between them, so she does consider Carol a second mom.   
> Hale and Russell had a bitter divorce but are somewhat friendly at this point. Hale didn’t remarry, but Kathryn has two younger half-siblings. 
> 
> Kathryn is the only one of Russell’s children older than Stevie, though the next oldest is only four years younger.


	4. The Kids Are...Mostly Confused (And A Bit Angry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Russell and Carol reassure their family, and Stevie learns something she didn't want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> figured I needed a little more fallout--then it took a life of its own.

Jay leaned back with a sigh, feeling stuffed. Carol’s youngest daughter was a talented cook. Even Chloe—who had her picky moments—had seemed delighted with her share.

“That was amazing, Amanda. Did Carol teach you to cook like that?” He stared at the two of them as they shared a look and broke down into laughter. He waited patiently, and his bewilderment was soon answered.

“Jay, I don’t think I’ve cooked anything more complicated than an egg scramble for decades. When Sandra was born, we hired Elena to cook and clean for us. She taught Manda how to cook.”

“And Spanish, don’t forget that, Mom.”

“Yes, although I could wish your brothers hadn’t convinced her to teach you all swear words.” Jay snorted.

“I wish Rosario—my usual babysitter as a kid—had been so accommodating.” Carol laughed, and Amanda leaned forward, her eyes bright.

“Can I teach Chloe Spanish?” Jay blinked.

“…Yes. Just no swear words yet. Abby would have my head.” The face of his girlfriend’s youngest daughter lit up, much to his surprise. He hadn’t imagined she would be so pleased.

As he and Carol washed dishes while Amanda babbled non-stop in Spanish to Chloe in the living room, Jay was thoughtful. Finally, tucking a dried plate into the cabinet, he asked,

“Carol, why does she like Chloe so much? Heck, why does she like me so much?” She looked up from the soapy dishes, her expression equally as thoughtful as he felt.

“Russell and I are still trying to figure that out. She hasn’t lost her temper at us once for the divorce, unlike her siblings.” Jay winced as he recalled Kathryn Jackson’s temper over the phone that morning. Then he frowned as he considered the import of Carol’s words.

“Huh. Is that healthy? Don’t kids normally get mad at their parents for divorcing?” Carol shrugged, looking frustrated.

“We’ve asked her. We’ve talked to her teachers, my parents, Russell’s—no one’s noticed her acting anything other than sad occasionally, and she’s only said that she understands.” Jay dutifully dried the cup she handed him.

“What about her siblings?”

“She’s told them off for shouting at us.” Jay’s eyes widened.

“She gets mad at them?”

“And only them. She takes it easy on Kathryn, but Sandy, Jared, and Stephen aren’t spared the brunt of her temper.” Jay frowned, rubbing his chin.

“Have you asked her about therapy?”

“She said she’ll think about it during the summer, and we don’t want to force her.” Carol looked very tired all of a sudden. Ignoring her soapy hands, Jay pulled her into a hug.

“It’ll be alright, babe. She has such amazing parents to look to for role models.” She sniffled, tilting her head back to give him a weak smile.

“That was very sweet, sweetheart. Can I tell Russell you called him amazing?”

“No.”

* * *

“What’s next, Russell Jackson dating a twenty-year-old?”

“Jase!” Surprisingly, it wasn’t Henry or Elizabeth who reproved him, but Stevie. Unsurprisingly, Jason just shrugged.

“We were all thinking it.”

“No, we weren’t, Jason,” Elizabeth said finally, her face oddly soft. Stevie brightened, and looked over.

“You saw Carol with Chloe, didn’t you?” Elizabeth smiled at her.

“They just fit after that.” Stevie nodded.

“Chloe adores Carol, and Carol adores her right back.” Henry leaned forward, frowning. “How do you know that?” Stevie shrugged, picking up another piece of sushi with her chopsticks.

“I follow her on Instagram. She posts about her grandkids, Manda, and Chloe a lot.”

“Huh.” Henry said, looking thoughtful. Elizabeth pointed one of her chopsticks at him.

“Don’t you dare, mister. We aren’t giving Facebook that kind of data.” Stevie snorted. “

I _can_ just show you them. Screenshotting _is_ a thing, you know.” She picked up her phone for a moment, and soon enough, both of her parents’ phones were buzzing.

Briefly distracted by the adorable pictures, Elizabeth and Henry were more than a bit bemused by the pointed stares from their two daughters.

“You two are getting grandbaby fever, aren’t you?” Stevie accused.

“No, of course no—”

“Well, you can’t blame us, can you?” Stevie and Alison shook their heads in unison as Jason looked confused.

“Mom! Stevie’s living at home, and you still have Jason!” Elizabeth smiled, her face wistful.

“Well yes, but Sophie’s so big now…” Stevie sighed.

“Mom, I’m sure Jay would love a bring your child to work day. I’m not planning on kids anytime soon.” Elizabeth looked disappointed. At least until Alison elbowed Stevie with a smirk.

“You sure about that, Stevie? You looked pretty cozy with that Alex guy the other day.” Henry and Elizabeth immediately leaned forward. Jason was just annoyed.

“Can we talk about _anything_ else besides Stevie’s love life?” Both his parents ignored his complaint, though Stevie sent him a look that was either sympathetic or grateful. He wasn’t really sure. He grumbled but stayed quiet.

“Why haven’t you told us you were dating someone, honey?” Stevie gave Henry an arch look, raising her brows.

“Let me see. Harrison, Arthur, Jareth. What about any of my previous boyfriends would make me want to tell you?”

“We liked Harrison and Jareth, though, honey!” Elizabeth protested, Henry nodding along with her words.

“I notice you don’t say anything about Arthur though,” she returned wryly.

“Well. Besides the age gap, he was your boss, Stevie.” Henry said calmly. Stevie flushed.

“Alright, that’s a fair hit, Dad.” Elizabeth leaned forward, pointing with her chopstick again.

“Is that why you won’t tell us about this Alex? Is he a professor? Is he older than you?” Stevie shook her head emphatically.

“No, definitely not. I met him when I was shopping for wine a few months ago.” Henry and Elizabeth blinked.

“You met him while shopping? How much do you know about this man? Where’s he from? Do you have any idea what he does?” Now it was Stevie’s turn to blink at the flood of questions.

“It’s not that strange. I met Jareth for the first time at a coffee shop poetry reading.” She crossed her arms, a stubborn expression on her face, then sighed. “I’m a grown adult—I don’t have to submit to your ‘interrogation’. But I will anyway.”

“I’ve been to his house. His sister is lovely. He’s Russian—defected, I think, because he acts like you two do about spy stuff—Dad, what’s wrong?” Henry had a strange expression on his face.

“What’s his name, Stevie?” She frowned, but said slowly,

“Alexander Mehranov. Why?” Everyone jumped when he slammed his fist on the table.

“That little bastard. After everything I’ve done for him—” Elizabeth put a wary hand on her husband’s shoulder.

“Babe, is something wrong? Do you know Stevie’s boyfriend?” Henry laughed shortly. “Know him? You could say that.” He crossed his arms, looking at Stevie.

“Show your mother a picture of your boyfriend.” Slowly, Stevie did so, handing her phone to Elizabeth with a deep frown.

“Does he look familiar, babe?” Elizabeth’s brow furrowed as she considered the photo of the young man carefully. Then her eyes widened, and she shared a look with him, her mouth covered while she handed the phone back with her free hand. Stevie stowed it in her pocket before saying flatly,

“Dad. Explain.” Henry pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a breath.

“His name isn’t Alexander Mehranov. You were sort of right about the defection. I turned him. I screwed his life over, and now he works for me.” Stevie went pale, and Alison grabbed her hand, looking like she sincerely regretted bringing this entire subject up.

“He’s been lying to me.”

“He has,” Henry confirmed, now looking more pained than angry. Stevie pulled her occupied hand out of Alison’s and dropped her face into her hands.

“Why do I have such rotten luck with men?” Alison patted her back, looking sympathetic. Jason looked like he wanted to escape.

“I’m sorry, Stevie.” She shook her head.

“Can I be excused?”

“Of course.” Once Stevie had disappeared up the stairs, Jason looked between his parents.

“Can I go? I didn’t even want to be here.”

Henry waved a hand, looking exhausted.

* * *

There was a very long silence of glares as Elena, Manda, and Jamal brought in the food. Russell, Carol, and Jay politely ignored it. Carol by talking with Booker about preschool—which he loved—and Russell and Jay by talking shop.

Elena left after squeezing Manda’s shoulder with a smile. Jamal sat down with a nervous glance at Sandra. Manda slammed the last dish down hard enough to earn everyone’s stares.

“Stop it! Chloe, Booker, and Mara are the only real children here, and they’re all taking this better than you did!” She crossed her arms, eyes shiny. Carol and Russell exchanged a concerned glance but remained quiet.

“Grow up, you guys! Haven’t you noticed Mom and Dad are still friends? They talk on the phone almost every night.” Neither Carol nor Russell missed the expressions on Kathryn and Sandra’s faces. Stephen still looked petulant, but Katy looked thoughtful, while Sandy appeared as if she’d been hit by a brick. Carol cleared her throat, drawing their attention.

“You don’t have to be happy about our divorce, and you don’t have to love Jay. But you do have to not make your sister cry. Especially since she just helped cook this impressive meal for all of us.” That got through to Stephen, who grumbled, then schooled his face. Kathryn and Sandra, on the other hand, sighed and nodded. They _did_ all behave for the rest of the meal, cheering up Manda more than a bit.

Kathryn even seemed to be warming up (very) slightly to Jay as she watched him with Chloe.

Russell had to hide an amused smile when he almost walked into Stephen giving Jay the shovel talk. Bess’ Chief of Staff looked more bemused than anything else but seemed to be otherwise taking the attempted intimidation with good grace.

When his son disappeared back into the living room with everyone else, Russell coughed to get Jay’s attention. The other man raised a brow.

“Thanks for not telling him you’ve been in scarier sitiuations than a college kid threatening you on behalf of his mother.” Jay snorted as he joined Russell in leaning against the wall.

“Honestly, in some ways I appreciated it. I know Carol’s been worried about how angry everyone except Amanda is. It’s nice to know they’re not too mad.” Russell choked on a surprised laugh.

“That was _not_ how I expected you to react. But it’s the kind of stupid optimism I’d expect from Bess’ staff.” Jay chuckled.

“So we’re back to insults now?”

“Of course. What else did you expect?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pushed Dmitri’s reveal forward. Sorry (not). I like Dmitri, but the relationship between him and Stevie…not so much. 
> 
> Did I plan to explore the dynamic between Stevie and her parents about her dating choices in this chapter? No. Does it flow well into the next chapter? Yes. 
> 
> This is kind of a filler chapter, but I think it’s a necessary one. 
> 
> Jamal is Sandra's boyfriend


	5. The Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things (very slowly) start to heat up between Stevie and Russell and Henry confronts Dmitri. It’s safe to say things are getting complicated.

“Stevie, are you alright?”

“I can’t talk about it right now.”

Russell frowned, but didn’t push, instead examining why his intern’s red eyes were tugging at his heart. Usually he didn’t really let himself care about people’s emotions. Particularly not at work. He came to his conclusion when his gaze landed on the arch of Stevie’s back as she reached to replace a file and he stiffened. She looked over in question as he pushed his chair back with a muted screech.

“Bathroom,” He gritted out in explanation, making sure his phone was in his pocket. He was careful to lock the restroom door behind him once he was enclosed in its limited privacy.

Clenching the edge of the sink with white knuckles, he stared at himself in the mirror.

“Fuck.” He ground his teeth, furious with himself. “You are a dirty old man and a walking stereotype, who really shouldn’t be having these thoughts,” he told himself. The door rattled, but he ignored it, backing away from the sink to lean against the tiled wall.

Russell pulled out his phone and thought about Carol. Even texting her. But the idea he was considering…he wasn’t sure he wanted a chance of it being recorded. If only because it had a chance of embarrassing Stevie. He took a deep breath, pulling himself together.

Speaking of Stevie, his conclusion didn’t matter, not right now. What mattered was getting to the bottom of what was making her so upset. Regardless of what happened, he cared about her, and that wasn’t going to change.

* * *

The man currently known as Alexander Mehranov didn’t expect anyone to be in the dim meeting room, so he got quite the shock when he turned around after switching on the lights to see his boss staring at him from a chair with an unfriendly glint in his eye.

“Sloppy, Dmitri. Very sloppy.” Alex—Dmitri stiffened to a military posture.

“Sir?” Professor McCord stood, stalking over to him with a stride that once again reminded Dmitri that the older man had served in the American Marines.

“I’m not in the mood for games, young man. What. The Hell. Were You. Thinking.” Dmitri, not totally lacking critical thinking skills, got the point.

“I was thinking your daughter is an amazing woman, Dr. McCord.” The older man didn’t look convinced.

“Really. I can’t imagine her name wasn’t the first thing she told you.” Dmitri crossed his arms, beginning to get a bit angry himself.

“What are you implying, sir?” Professor McCord crossed his own arms in return, doing an impressive imitation of a rock wall.

“You know what I’m implying, Petrov. I wouldn’t even entirely blame you. Except that my daughter is the person you chose.” Dmitri stared at him, too shocked to even muster a glare.

“You think I would stoop to such things? I do not use people like that.” His words clearly hit a nerve—though he didn’t truly intend it—because Professor McCord blew out a breath and walked away from him, pacing around the room. Dmitri waited, not feeling as if it was a smart idea to move. When Professor McCord turned back around, he offered cautiously,

“I didn’t reveal anything confidential to her, sir.” His boss laughed bitterly.

“That almost makes it worse, though I appreciate the lack of legal and ethical headache.” He stalked back to Dmitri.

“You know how she found out?” Dmitri shook his head slowly, a sinking feeling in his stomach following his realization that not only had he screwed up, he was headed for a break up.

“I told her. At dinner last night. After she showed me a picture of you on her phone.” Dmitri winced. That…was bad. He hadn’t realized Stevie had taken any pictures of him.

“I…don’t know what to say sir.” Professor McCord did an impressive job looming over him considering their similarities in height.

“You will apologize to my daughter for keeping secrets when she calls you. If she doesn’t break up with you, you aren’t going anywhere except your home, mine, and this building. If she does, I will still be keeping an eye on you.”

Right at that moment, Molly Reid pushed open the door, balancing a tray of coffee cups as she chatted with the fourth member of their little team. Dmitri nodded quickly before she looked up, and Professor McCord backed away.

* * *

Molly Reid trailed off as she realized the awkward silence permeating their usual meeting room. She observed Mehranov and their boss unobtrusively as she busied herself with handing out the coffees. Their resident Russian looked oddly pale for his complexion, and Dr. McCord looked pissed. Neither of their expressions were normal, and she couldn’t miss the way Mehranov kept glancing nervously at Dr. McCord, who was ignoring him when possible. She sighed. Whatever it was, she hoped it wasn’t related to anything they were working on.

She was _not_ leaving Eileen to be spoiled all day by her grandmother two days in a row. Her breasts ached and she had separation anxiety.

* * *

Stevie frowned, and looked out of the office. Russell was nowhere to be seen, and she didn’t know why. He’d left rather suddenly, and it had _definitely_ been more than fifteen minutes.

“Stevie, everything alright?” She turned her head to see Adele looking at her curiously. “I don’t know,” Stevie said slowly.

“Have you seen Russell?” Adele frowned now herself.

“Now that you mention it, no. Not he since stalked out of the office. Speaking of, you know why he did that?” Stevie could only shake her head. Adele sighed.

“Try his phone. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try.” Stevie nodded, closing the office door after she pulled her head back in.

She felt oddly self-conscious about calling Russell, so she moved away from the door, perching on his desk. Stevie pulled up his name in her contacts, clicking the call function. The dial tone rang. And rang. She was about to hang up and go grab Adele when he picked up.

“Stevie? Why’re you calling?” His voice sounded strained, but she didn’t probe.

“You know you’ve been gone for—” she checked her watch and blinked. “—over half-hour?”

She was promptly treated to a long line of muted swearing, and she realized he must have pulled the phone away from his mouth. _Both sweet and amusing_ , she thought to herself, and promptly blanched. Had she really just thought of Russell Jackson as sweet? Her hand clenched on the phone as she half-listened to his apology.

“…I realized I needed a moment to think. Did I miss anyone coming by?”

“Surprisingly, not yet,” she answered on autopilot.

“Good. I’ll be back in a few.” Still a bit dazed by her thoughts, Stevie was perched on the desk when Russell walked in. His lips twitched, and she flushed, awkwardly sliding off its edge.

“I’m so sorry. That was very unprofessional of me.” He waved a hand carelessly.

“You’re not blocking anything when you do that.” He hesitated, moving closer.

“Stevie, would you tell me what’s going on if we went somewhere to talk? I don’t like seeing you upset.” Why did those words give her such a warm feeling? She dusted off her skirt unnecessarily to distract herself, thinking through her schedule.

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?” He shook his head, a slight smile on his face.

“Nope.”

“Can we go somewhere in Virginia? I don’t want attention from the news during this conversation.”

Russell blinked—his equivalent of a gasp, really.

“If you think you can get through the rest of the day, sure.” She glared at him.

“Of course I can! I’m not a weakling.” He chuckled.

“I never said you were.” He squeezed her shoulder as he walked back to his desk. Stevie wasn’t sure she was supposed to hear his quiet “That’s my Stevie,” as he sat down. She decided to ignore it.

Both of them pretended everything was normal for the rest of the day, even when Stevie needed to duck out during lunch to make a call and came back with even redder eyes. The rest of the staff knew better than to ask as well. Stephanie McCord had adopted most of the scarier traits of both her boss and her mother, and was already considered just as stupid to cross, despite her young age.

Stevie didn’t have a clue about her reputation, but for Russell, it was yet another thing he found attractive. Not that he’d tell her. Not yet.

* * *

“Well that’s a mess.” Stevie choked on a surprised laugh, putting her glass of iced tea down before she took a sip.

“That. Is an understatement, Russell,” she said, meeting his eyes, only to see something in them she didn’t know how to interpret. She looked down, fiddling with her napkin, and a silence fell between them as they waited for their food to arrive. Stevie hadn’t been paying a great deal of attention to what Russell ordered, but when she saw the side accompanying his cheeseburger, she switched it with her side salad as soon as the server left. She jumped as Russell put a gentle hand over hers before she could pull it away from the salad plate.

“Stevie, are you going to be alright?” Stevie shook her head, not entirely understanding why she was blushing.

“I don’t know. But it won’t affect my work! I promise!” Russell stroked her hand, smiling at her.

“I know. I wouldn’t think it would, Stevie. You’re one of the most professional people I’ve met. I just don’t want you to be falling apart behind the face you show the world.” Stevie blinked, touched by his unusually soft words. She managed a small smile, but Russell looked away from her, his voice growing quieter.

“You don’t have to talk to me. I _am_ your boss. But don’t bottle up your pain either.” Stevie pulled her hand away, her voice equally quiet.

“Okay. I…thank you, Russell.”

“Don’t thank me for caring about you.” He sounded more brusquely normal, but his cheeks were flushed as he dug into the salad.

* * *

“Mr. Whitman, can I talk to you?” Jay turned around at the familiar question, prepared to shoo off a reporter. He could feel his eyes widen as he was instead faced with MSec’s eldest daughter. He was more than a bit startled by how worn she looked, though he’d heard she’d broken up with a serious boyfriend about a month ago. Surely she should look a little better now. His name was called by the barista, and he flushed, realizing he’d been staring at Stephanie McCord for more than a few minutes.

“Er, let me get my order, then sure. Booth or table?” Her lips twitched briefly before she said,

“Booth. I was already sitting at one when I saw you.” He nodded awkwardly, still feeling profoundly embarrassed. She was hiding behind a computer when he finally made his way over through the crowd, but looked up when he sits down, closing out of whatever she was working on. She still looked tired and upset, but her face was red with what he assumed was embarrassment, a supposition borne out by her next words.

“Look, this is kind of personal—not to mention mortifying—but you were the only person I could think of to turn to, so when I saw you today…” She trailed off, her face going even redder. Jay frowned, thoroughly confused.

“Me? Why me? I hate to point out the obvious, but we barely know each other, Ms. McCord.” She winced.

“I know. But you’re really the only person I can talk to about this.” Despite some misgivings about why his boss’s eldest thought her mother’s chief of staff was the only person she could speak to, Jay had to admit to himself that he was intrigued.

“Ms. McCord, I can’t help you if you don’t explain what’s going on,” he said when she seemed hesitant. She blew out a breath, and took a deep sip of her iced coffee, as if steeling herself.

“How did you get over the age gap?” Jay blinked. That was decidedly not what he’d expected. He frowned again—no wonder she’d said it was personal. He observed her quietly as he thought over his answer. There’s no way that’s her only question—it’s simply the simplest one. If she was only worried about a giant age gap, she wouldn’t have gone to him. Her choice had to be related to who she’s interested in. He took a sip of his hot matcha latte—Carol got him hooked on it—and promptly choked on it as everything comes together. Stephanie McCord thoughtfully moved his phone out of the way, looking faintly apologetic. Once he’s recovered from his impromptu episode of choking, Jay glared at her. Unfortunately, she’s much too like her mother to be intimidated by his ire, and merely looked at him with a sheepish smile.

“What the _fuck_ are you thinking, Ms. McCord? You work for him,” he snapped in a harsh whisper.

She shrugged, something dark crossing her face.

“I _have_ always had terrible taste in men.”

When he opened his mouth again, not sure what to say, she waved a hand dismissively, continuing.

“I’m sorry for bothering you. It’s not the same situation as you and Carol anyway.” She slid over an uneaten danish and began to pack up her things. She gave him a wry smile as she rose, and added,

“I refuse to give him a Bill Clinton disaster. I think he would treat me better, but I don’t want to put either of us in that situation.” Jay sighed, feeling significantly more sympathetic as he realized how much she must care about Russell. He held up a hand as she prepared to step away, pulling out his personal phone.

“Look, I’m not saying I approve, but you clearly need someone to talk to. You’re at the beginning of the rest of your life; you shouldn’t be so miserable. Here’s my personal number.” She looked at him with a double take but traded her phone for his.

“…Thank you, Mr. Whitman,” she said as she handed his phone back. He shook his head.

“If we’re going to be friends, you need to call me Jay.” She smiled at him, the action brightening her appearance considerably.

“Then I’m Stevie.”

* * *

Carol crossed her arms, shooting him a narrow look across the tabletop. She barely nodded at the nervous young waiter who brought them their orders. Russell sighed, leaning back against the padded leather of the booth.

“Russell, you should have told me this weeks ago. You’ve been carrying it for how long?” He takes a bite of his roast to hide his surprise at her lack of judgement before mumbling,

“About a month. Why aren’t you pissed at me?” Carol laughed shortly, her light eyes darker than usual.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I am irritated. But she’s an adult. Her age isn’t what concerns me.” Russell sighed again, dropping his fork to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I am perfectly aware of the inherent power dynamic, Carol.”

“Oh, I know. You’re no idiot, Russell.” It was his turn to laugh humorlessly.

“Well, that’s news to me. I certainly feel like one.” Carol’s expression softened, and she reached out to rest a hand over his free one. He flinched, the motion far too similar to the one he’d offered Stevie in comfort not even a month earlier. His ex-wife’s expression grew cooler and considering, and he knew she was moving into her matter-of-fact “surgical” mindset.

“Russ. You’ve as much as said you love her. Or that you could.” He winced, his face growing hot, but Carol merely hummed and nodded, moving on. “How serious is it?”

He twisted the spine of his fork tightly. She sighed.

“Look, would it be worth it for you if someone had to leave their job?”

“Not if it was her,” he said immediately. She shook her head, smiling at him.

“You have it bad, Russ.” He sighed.

“Really. I hadn’t guessed, Carrie.” He dropped the fork and dragged both hands down his face, feeling very, very tired. “…I don’t know what to do.”

She hummed sympathetically.

“Yes, her working under you is definitely a problem.” He winced.

“Please don’t say it like that, Carrie.” She frowned at him for a moment before wincing herself.

“Oh. Moving on, do you think introducing her to another mentor would work right now?” He immediately shook his head.

“Not when it’s a formal internship that gives her college credit. I won’t screw that up for her. I know how much a college degree means.” Carol gave him a fond smile.

“There’s the sweet man I raised my children with.” He tried to glare at her as his face grew hot.

“Carol!” She chuckled at his embarrassment—not unkindly—and ate a bit more of her salad before continuing.

“I’m not telling you what to do—you didn’t tell me what to do with Jay—but I’d introduce another mentor so she can transition out at the end of the year. That way there’s not that dynamic, whatever happens.” Russell chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, before saying drily,

“I might not even have to do that. I bet Chief Justice Wilbourne would love to mentor one of Bess’ kids.” Carol shook her head, eyes twinkling.

“You never can turn that brain of yours off, can you? Even when it comes to love?”

“Can you?” He shot back. She huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head.

“A hit, Russ. We both get stuck up in there too much.”

* * *

The next few months were miserable for everyone in the loop. And profoundly confusing for everyone out of it.

Jay got put in some awkward positions once State noticed the “state” Russell was in. He was definitely off his game—oh, not when it really mattered, but nobody working for the State Department had gotten there by not paying attention to little details. MSec cornered him one night as he was leaving for the evening.

“Jay, can you tell me what’s going on with Russell? He seems…I don’t know, odd, lately.” Jay pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring the buzz of his personal phone in his slacks, though in the back of his mind, he was hoping it was Carol.

“Ma’am. I try to avoid DC gossip when I can. What’s going on with the emotional state of my girlfriend’s ex-husband is certainly in the _can_ column.” She crossed her arms, persistent.

“Come on, Jay. You have to know _something_. I know he and Carol still talk.” Jay resisted the urge to glare at his boss.

“It is 12:45 am. Ma’am. Have you considered asking him yourself? Since you see him practically every day?” Finally, she looked faintly apologetic, and let him go. Jay had no illusions that she was finished, however. But as long as she kept him out of it, he—quite frankly—didn’t care.

As he got into his Uber, he pulled his phone out. Looking at the message, he sighed in tired pleasure. Carol was a goddess among women.

Not only had she already arranged for Chloe to spend the next few days with Abby and her parents—more or less a long weekend—but she had a new wine and takeout from the new Italian place by the Capitol building waiting.

* * *

She met Jay with a kiss and a glass of red when he opened the door. Somehow, he managed to close the door behind him with his free hand while returning the gesturing and taking the wine. Once they pulled apart, he drained the glass in three sips. Carol blinked at him.

“Uh Jay, sweetheart?” He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I have had a _long_ few months. It is one in the morning, _and_ MSec cornered me while I was leaving.” Carol winced as she headed back into the kitchen, Jay following her after he kicked off his shoes. She glanced up from carefully reheating the takeout to say,

“We could look at it as a positive. It took her this long to say something.” Jay sighed again as he refilled their glasses.

“I guess. Frankly, as much as I like Stevie—and as much as Russell and I are reluctantly friendly—this mess has gone on for long enough.” Carol plated the pasta before turning to face him and gratefully accepting her own glass.

“I agree, but it isn’t really our business, despite our inadvertent involvement.” Jay hid his face in his wine as he followed her to the living room. He didn’t say anything until they were both on the couch, Carol’s legs across his lap, and both of them leaning against the arms.

“In an ideal world, sure. But it’s Washington D.C., for god’s sake!” Carol hummed thoughtfully, spearing a tortellini noodle, and silence swept over them for a few long minutes. Jay appreciated it, despite his continued (and many) concerns.

“Honey, what’s your opinion on Stevie’s feelings?” He groaned.

“If you’re asking whether or not I approve, I don’t. There are more years between them than Stevie has been alive.” Carol just nodded, her face not revealing anything of her thoughts. Jay postponed his next answer by way of a few more bites of tortellini, spinach, and chicken.

“But…I don’t think it’s just a crush. It might’ve started out that way, but she and Russell were already close. Closer than I’ve seen him with anyone but you or the kids.” She nodded, her eyes darkening.

“Sweetheart, what would you say if I told you that Russell reciprocates those feelings?” What Jay wanted to _do_ was smack the White House Chief of Staff upside the head for doing something as stupid as falling for an intern about half his age. What he _said_ was:

“I’d tell him he’s being monumentally reckless, but at least he’s not pulling a Clinton.” Carol coughed, and for the life of him, he couldn’t tell whether she was amused or offended. She leaned forward, resting a hand on his thigh.

“…You’re not mad I didn’t tell you earlier?” He shrugged.

“I know Russell still confides in you. And we’d all know if he’d acted on it. Besides, I was trying to get Stevie to give up on him. I wouldn’t have wanted to hear that earlier.” She relaxed back against the armrest but didn’t move her hand. He squeezed it gently.

“So, what’s the reason you told me now?” She smiled at him, setting the remains of her meal on the coffee table.

“Russ told me he’s going to see if Chief Justice Wilbourne will take Stevie as an intern next year.” Jay breathed a very fervent sign of relief.

“Thank you, God. A completely different branch.” She snorted. “It does solve a number of problems. And I hope it makes your next few months bearable.” He chuckled, putting aside his plate as well. “If only MSec will stop asking me if I know how Russell is, then it will be delightful.” Carol shook her head, smiling.

“Want me to pick up Chloe more often?” He scrambled off the couch to the floor and clasped his hands together as he put on his best puppy dog eyes.

“Please? I can’t handle being the only one she’s hounding.” His girlfriend was barely intelligible through her laughter as she said,

“Get up. You’re being positively ridiculous. Of course I will. You’re terrible at stonewalling women.”

“Hey!”

“It’s a compliment, sweetheart.”

“…Sure it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone. Please. Help. I can’t find the name of the other member of Henry’s SAD team.   
> Eileen is the name I made up for Molly’s canon child.   
> Russell might seem a little OOC here, but we do know he has a soft side (Panda-Cams, anyone?), otherwise, why would Carol have stayed with him for 22 years?   
> Yes, Wilbourne is actually the surname of Morgan Freeman’s character in MSec. I looked it up


End file.
